The pharmaceutical industry is one of the UK’s most profitable industries and generates million of pounds each year. Marketing is a hugely important part of this success and all pharmaceutical companies use large-scale marketing campaigns to promote their company and generate sales.
Restrictions on pharmaceutical marketing
Unlike in other countries, including the USA and New Zealand, British pharmaceutical companies are not permitted to market their medications to consumers directly and many support campaigns to highlight the prevalence or risks of specific diseases as a means of promoting their medication. Supporting a campaign is legal if the aim of the campaign is to focus on the disease, rather than encouraging consumers to buy medication.
Marketing in the USA
In the USA, drug companies are free to advertise and market their products to consumers directly and this generates billions of dollars every year. Figures show that drug companies in America spend more money on marketing than they do on research and development. Many companies use medical representatives (commonly known as ‘reps’) to visit healthcare providers and encourage them to stock and sell their products. They often provide free samples, free gifts and trial prices to try and seal a deal.
There is debate surrounding direct marketing of pharmaceutical products. Direct marketing is only allowed in New Zealand and the USA and many experts believe that marketing encourages people to take medication and discourages people from consulting a medical professional. Some say that marketing is useful because it offers patients information about different medications.
Types of marketing
Pharmaceutical companies use a variety of different marketing strategies to promote their business, including:
- Events and conferences: many companies have stalls and exhibition stands at major events across the country.
- Websites
- E-marketing (use of websites, online adverts, emails)
- Text messages
- Supporting campaigns – many companies support campaigns against a specific disease as a means of promoting their medication because they are not allowed to market medications directly to patients.
- Public relations
